Long Way Home
by NatLou87
Summary: Sometimes coming home isn't like you expected. For Emma and Regina, after finally making it home to their children, they discover that all is not as it was and becoming a family once more may not be as easy as they thought. Throw in a deranged 'half-sister' intent on ruining your happy ending and life gets that little more complicated...SwanQueen
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 _It's time to run_  
 _Take us away from here_  
 _Protect us from further harm_  
 _Resistance_

 ** _Resistance - Imagine Dragons_**

 ** _-0-_**

"Regina, we have to…"

A terrible roar erupted from the skies above 108 Mifflin Street, the ground began to tilt and shake with such violence that the once sturdy house began to shift dangerously. The picture frames that had been lovingly placed all over the ground floor of the house and all the way up the stairs, fell from the walls, shattering against the floor. Light fixtures, game consoles, breakfast dishes all crashed down against the trembling ground. The heavy oak table in the dining room slid across the floor, colliding heavily against the door frame.

A lone figure fell to her knees, her pale hands reaching out for anything sturdy to grab, but it was useless. As the expensive chandelier that hung in their hallway came smashing down, the shards of glass quickly spreading across the floor she cried out. Reaching up she covered her head with her arms and closed her eyes, willing it to be over. Then as if a prayer had been answered, the tremors did stop, almost as abruptly as they had begun.

Breathing heavily, the beautiful blonde looked up cautiously, her wide green eyes assessing the damage that had been caused in only a matter of seconds. Swallowing away the lump in her throat as she took in the ruins of their beautiful home, Emma Swan pushed herself up off her knees and stumbled to the bottom of the stairs, leaning heavily against the banister as she looked up.

"Regina? Regina, please we have to go there's not much…time!" she called out, fighting back the tears in her eyes as she made to move up the stairs, only as she did, the stunning brunette she'd long since fallen in love with came hurrying down the stairs with two back packs in her arms. "We have to go!"

"I know…I know…I just, she can't sleep without Mr Gordo." Regina said, hurrying as fast as her injured leg would allow her. Emma reached out taking the back packs and then Regina's hand, quickly tugging her towards the front door before stumbling to a stop, causing Regina to bump into her back. "Emma…?"

Emma crouched down, her hand slipping away from Regina as she reached for one of the smashed photo frames. Carefully she lifted it up and smiled softly, her heart squeezing painfully in her chest as she gazed down at her favourite photo of her little family. It had been a candid photo, shot by her Dad at hers and Regina's wedding, 2 years ago

Inside the broken frame Emma had come up behind Regina, one hand slipping around the second bride's waist and Regina had inclined her head to the side to meet Emma in a sweet, tender kiss whilst the blonde held her then 12 year old son close making him laugh as he struggled to get away from his overly affectionate Mom's and then there was their beautiful 2 year old daughter Charlotte, laughing happily and clapping her hands together as she looked at Henry.

The love radiating from that one little picture was overwhelming and Emma felt her heart give another painful squeeze. "Emma…Sweetheart…we have to go, we're almost out of time," Regina was now the one urging her wife forward frantically as she cast a worried look outside. Emma looked up and nodded her head, making quick work of sliding the photograph out of the frame and into one of the rucksacks before grabbing Regina's hand and allowing her to hurry them both outside and to the bug.

As their hands simultaneously latched onto the handles of the doors, there was an ear shattering crack of thunder and as they cast their eyes upwards they saw the unmistakable sight of the Dark Curse rushing towards them. "Get in…Get in the car!" screamed Emma, not needing to tell Regina twice as they both dived into the yellow bug. The ground began to tremble again, a huge crack in the ground charged towards the house and began to split it into two. Regina closed her eyes to hide from the destruction of her home, as they car sped away and forced down a calming breath, her heart hammering in her chest as she and Emma both took in the sight of their town.

Everywhere you looked there were people running through the streets screaming, all trying to outrun the Dark Curse, even though it would be all in vain. Regina and Emma had a plan though, they, along with Henry and Charlotte were the only ones that had ever been allowed to leave Storybrooke, so it was with heavy hearts they were going to do just that today. They had wanted to go home, to the Enchanted Forest with the rest of their family but both women knew their children would have to stay here and so there was no option. They weren't going to leave their children; they could start over somewhere else when they crossed that town line.

Regina reached out a hand for Emma's, to try and comfort her, sensing and feeling the other woman's pain as though it were her own. Emma had already said a goodbye to her parents but she was struggling. "They'll be alive…" Emma assured herself. As painful as this was, her parents would be in the Enchanted Forest and she, Regina and their children would remain here. Even though it broke her heart to know she'd never see them again, Emma was forcing herself to take comfort in the fact that they would be alive and together.

"There they are," Regina said suddenly, breaking the tense silence in the bug after a few minutes and sure enough, both Mary Margaret and David were stood side by side, with Henry next to his Grandmother and Charlotte hiding her face in her Grandfathers jacket. Emma nodded, glancing once in the rear view mirror before they skidded to a stop.

The couple hurried forward after climbing out the car and as Emma moved to embrace her parents, Henry hurried to Regina and held her tight. "Mom…we were worried." He told her, glancing past the brunette towards the green fog surging towards them. Regina cupped his face and forced his eyes back onto her and away from the destruction.

"Everything is going be okay my little prince, I promise you…"

A cruel and sickening cackle interrupted the moment they were all sharing and every person spun around where they stood to find its source. Sure enough there, stood in the middle of the road with an evil smirk on her face was Zelena, beside her stood a weary looking, bound Mr Gold. His eyes were haunted, distant as though he were somewhere else entirely. Twirling the Dark One's dagger in her hand Zelena looked between them all and pouted, "What, no hugs? I just came to see you Regina…rumour has it you and that tramp you call a wife are going to try and run…"

"You think you can stop us…"Emma started, moving forward and raising her hands towards the Wicked Witch, Regina though held out her hand and touched her wife's arm, her eyes firmly on her 'half-sister'. Something in her eyes was ringing alarm bells.

"You're too late Zelena. They're going, you failed." Mary Margaret called out, laying a protective arm across Charlotte. Zelena laughed again and looked to Mr Gold whose face contorted into something akin to sorrow, regret, even pain .

"You really think I would have made it that simple. You naïve idiots. No one's leaving, there's a shield around this entire town. Neither one of you are leaving, you're going back to the Enchanted Forest…" she said happily, glancing once over her shoulder towards the cloud creeping closer.

Emma's eyes widened as she looked towards the town line, hurrying towards it she pressed her hands out and was immediately met with a solid, invisible wall. Dread uncoiled in her stomach as she looked back to Regina, who was slowly coming to the realization of what Zelena had planned. Her hand tightened around Henry's as she looked towards the red-head.

"Blondie and the Charming's haven't got it yet, but you do, don't you sis?" Zelena cackled cruelly. "You understand what this is all about…" she prodded gleefully, her face then contorting into something twisted and angry. "You took the life that was supposed to be mine! So now I take your happy ending….your children," she chuckled, before waving a hand and disappearing into a cloud of green smoke along with Mr Gold.

"Regina…Regina…what did she mean?" Emma asked, taking Charlotte from her Father and holding her daughter close. Regina cried quietly and pulled Henry in and held him tightly, leaning in to rest her cheek against the top of his head as Emma moved closer. "Baby…?" Regina looked up into the eyes of her true love, to the daughter who had in turn been created by the pure magic of their true love and let out a small sob.

"We can't leave, w..w..we'll be transported back to the Enchanted Forest with everyone else but Henry and Charlotte…they'll…" Regina trailed off unable to formulate the words. How were they supposed to say goodbye to their children, how were they supposed to leave them here, to be alone in this cruel world. Emma shook her head, tears spilling over her cheeks, her heart breaking as she finally grasped what this all meant.

"No…no…"a painful sob was ripped from her throat as Regina pulled her into a hug, all of them holding each other close as the reality of what was happening hit them all. Behind them Mary Margaret and David were holding onto each other, watching the heart-breaking scene, crying. How long they stood like that, none of them knew but when thunder began to erupt right above them and Charlotte started to cry out of fright, Mary Margaret gasped and squeezed her husband tighter.

"It's here…the curse…" she sobbed burying her face into David's chest. Emma looked up, eyeing the cloud before looking down and her beautiful daughter as did Regina. Both Mom's leaned in and pressed a kiss on either side of her blonde head, whispering words of love into her ear, before she was reluctantly passed to Henry whose eyes were wide with terror and disbelief that this was real and happening.

"Henry, little prince…honey, you have to take care of Charlotte okay…" Regina started, smoothing a hand over his cheek. Henry cried quietly and shook his head as he held onto his little sister,

"Mom's, no…" he started, but another hand on his other cheek stopped his protests. Emma knelt down and looked up at her handsome son, her entire world shattering down right before her eyes.

"Henry, you can do this. You're both going to be okay…we are coming back, I promise we are going to find a way to be a family again. You told me once you believed in me, well right now I need you to believe in us, believe that we will be together again…promise me you'll do that." She urged him, watching his eyes dart between both his Moms's as the cloud began to encircle them all. Charlotte's cries grew louder as she reached out for her Mom, scared and wanting one of them to hide her from the horrible sights she was witnessing. "Henry promise me…"

"I promise! I promise I'll believe…" Henry cried out as his parents began to disappear. "Mom's I promise!" he yelled into the blackness once it had consumed them all. His hold on his sister tightened as he let out a pained cry. The blackness around him roared loudly, cracks of thunder almost deafening him as he willed it to be over, Charlotte's cries had become muted, the only signs she was there were the little hands gripping the back of his hair.

When the blackness finally faded away, Henry found himself still stood in the road. There was complete silence and blue skies. "Mom's?" he said quietly, as he took a step forward. Slowly the fourteen year old boy looked around, everything inside him radiating shock when he finally accepted that he and Charlotte were now alone in the road. Everyone had gone, even the car. The leaving Storybrooke sign was gone; there was just nothing but trees and road.

"Hen-wy…?"Henry turned his watery eyes to his little sister, tears staining her rosy cheeks as she sniffled, her bottom lip trembling. "Mommy?" she asked, her little voice catching as she rubbed her eyes. Henry rubbed his hand over her back in the way he'd seen his Mother's do, time and time again to calm her down. Right now he felt like it was all he could do, he was struggling to understand what had happened, since it had all happened so abruptly. One minute they were leaving town as a family, the next it was him and Charlotte, alone in a big world and he felt lost.

Charlotte observed her big brother quietly, her little body still flinching every so often as she calmed down from all of the crying. Henry was crying and her Moms were gone, at only four years old she understood quite clearly that something bad had happened, had changed forever. Knowing it was what was needed, her little arms encircled her brother's neck again and she tucked herself comfortably against his chest, lightly patting his back.

 _"…believe in us, believe that we will be a family again…"_

Henry squeezed his eyes shut, letting himself give over to the small comfort Charlotte offered before steeling himself against the varying emotions coursing through him and opening his eyes. Clearing his throat he looked at Charlotte and forced what he hoped was a reassuring smile onto his face. "It's gonna be okay Charley-bear, Mom and Mommy will be back for us…we'll be okay, I promise."

 ** _-0-_**

 ** _First ever fanfic, but decided it was time to brave it and put it out there._**

 ** _Once Upon A Time is perhaps my favorite show on television. Since I discovered Regina and Emma I've loved them, they are my OTP, I adore the idea of them together with a little family of their own. I guess this is where this little story came from. I hope you guys like it so far, next chapter I think we'll be facing a considerable time jump, between when the family is parted to when they are finally reunited..._**

 ** _Hopefully you guys will review and let me know whether it's worth continuing or not..._**

 ** _Peace out_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 _You're not alone  
Together we stand  
I'll be by your side,  
you know I'll take your hand_

 _ **Keep Holding on - Avril Lavinge**_

 _ **-0-**_

 _ **Enchanted Forest**_

"We have to get back."

Emma felt Regina's hand slip from her own as soon as the cloud dissipated. They were back in the Enchanted Forest, Charlotte and Henry were gone, as was the road. They definitely weren't in Storybrooke anymore and Emma felt an intense panic begin to erupt in her chest. Charlotte and Henry weren't here; they were back there, alone and in the middle of nowhere. Closing her eyes tightly she took a breath, feeling the magic rushing to her hands as her emotions began to overload.

"Emma did you hear me we have to…Emma?"

Regina, turned her tear stained face away from the Charming's and glanced back at her wife, upon realizing Emma had yet to respond. The magic began to vibrate around Emma dangerously; Regina could sense the shift in the air and hurried towards Emma, stopping just out of reach. Emma was still so new at managing her magic, she could control it but things could get a little out of hand when she became emotional. Now was one of those times her emotions were soaring out of control and Regina knew now she had to be the strong one, keep a level head.

"They're alone…" Emma whispered, her hands clenching into fists. This was Zelena, it was all Zelena's fault and for a moment Emma wanted vengeance, right up until the hand on her cheek squashed that feeling back down where it belonged. Blowing out another breath Emma let out a small sob and opened her eyes to look at Regina, "They're all alone." She cried quietly shaking her head.

Without any regard for her own safety, Regina leaned forwards and wrapped her arms around the blonde, holding her tightly as she cried. To her credit, Regina held her own tears at bay not ready for a breakdown. It was killing her knowing her children were alone back there but she was determined to get back to them as soon as possible, to keep the promise both her and Emma had made them before they were cruelly torn away from them both. "We're going to find a way to get home. We both made them a promise and we're going to keep it no matter what,"

"No matter what," Emma repeated after a few silent moments. Regina's strength was adding to her own. They had to be strong, they couldn't break down, they couldn't think negatively. They were going to get home, they had to have hope. Wasn't that what her parents were always saying? Speaking of the Charming's, Emma inclined her head to the side and saw them a few feet away talking quietly and casting worried looks towards her. When her Mother saw Emma's focus was on her though, she smiled softly, the relief at seeing her daughter a little more in control evident on her beautiful face.

"Now, we should go, we have a long journey ahead. Everything we're going to need is back at my…our castle." Regina announced, pulling away from Emma but letting her hand migrate into the blondes. Emma's magic had calmed and she was now in control once more. They both felt the magical current flowing between them and it offered some small comfort in this devastating of moments. They'd always been connected in some way; it had been obvious at that first meeting when Emma had returned Henry back to Storybrooke. They'd fought it of course but true love had won out. That first night they'd accepted their feelings and finally come together, magic had been created, pure magic, raw and powerful.

Alone they were strong but together there was nothing they couldn't do. So it was with that in mind Regina and in turn Emma, found they could be confident in their plans to get home. They had magic, they had hope, they had a reason to fight and nothing was going to stop them.

 _ **-0-**_

"Damn it!"

Emma flinched violently to the left as a glass vial shattered against the door-frame, just as she entered the room she shared with Regina. Gaping wide eyed at the broken glass on the floor she turned to look at her wife and felt her already broken heart begin to fracture into even smaller pieces. Regina had her back to her, her fingers in her dark hair again gripping tightly at the silky locks. Her posture was tensed and everything about her screamed frustration and heartbreak.

It had been five weeks. Five weeks since the curse had brought them here to the Enchanted Forest. Five weeks since they'd be ripped away from their children and it had been torture. The only highlight was that Zelena was nowhere to be found but neither Regina nor Emma could enjoy that fact because for them, they had only one concern and that was how to get back home. The search was on for Magic Beans but so far, their search had proved useless, Regina had been spending countless hours in her room scouring over her old books trying to find something, anything that would get them back home to Charlotte and Henry.

Only last week they'd tackled The Dark Ones old castle but again had come up empty handed. So far there was no way to get back to the other world. Although it had only been five weeks, it was still five weeks too long away from Charlotte and Henry. Emma knew first hand just how cruel that world could be to children and it sickened her to imagine Henry and Charlotte being put in the foster system. There was no way legally he'd be allowed to take care of them alone, he had school, had no money, so she knew without a shadow of a doubt that there was every chance her children were now in the system.

"Gina…" she said softly, taking another step into the room. The dark haired beauty she'd fallen deeply in love with turned quickly, startled by the sudden intrusion. Her shock quickly shifted into something unreadable, for a moment she looked almost like the woman she'd first met when Henry had brought her to Storybrooke.

"Not now Emma…"Regina sighed, rubbing her hand over her face before she turned back to her work, feeling a sense of failure every time she looked at the blonde. She'd told Emma they'd find a way home, the blonde had promised their children, and Regina was hurting that she couldn't help Emma keep that promise. She was terrified for her children; she missed them both so much it physically hurt her. She missed the nights Emma and Henry would challenge each other to a new game on his game console, she missed reading bed time stories to Charlotte, missed brushing her beautiful unruly curls.

Overcome with the situation they now found themselves in, knowing there was every chance they'd never do that again, Regina fell forward, gripping the edge of the table tightly. Emma crossed the room in a flash, her hands going around her wife as she pulled her upright and against her body, holding her tightly.

"Hey now. We're gonna get back to them baby." She assured Regina. The brunette leaned into the loving embrace and wrapped her arms around Emma, holding her tightly and inhaling her comforting scent. The blonde always grounded her, at moments like this when she thought she'd drown in the pain she was feeling, when she felt like she was on the edge of becoming that Evil Queen again, Emma brought her back from the edge.

"Emma, it's been five weeks and there's nothing…" Regina cried, pulling back enough to look at her wife, their foreheads now resting together. The closeness they shared was comforting but there was still two huge pieces of themselves missing. "We don't even know if they're…they're…" Regina trailed off and shook her head. She didn't have to finish though, Emma knew what she had been trying to say and it was part of the reason she'd come to get Regina. Lovingly she cupped Regina's face and smiled softly, though it was tinged with sadness.

"The Blue Fairy found a Crystal ball at Rumpelstiltskin's castle…we can use that to see the children yes?" she asked, still unsure on how magic worked but when she saw her wife's face light up she knew she'd been right.

"Where is it?" Regina asked, watching curiously as Emma smiled before leaning forward to kiss her softly yet passionately. Before Regina could respond, Emma had slipped out of her hold and held out her hand, quirking one eyebrow as she did so. Several long seconds passed by before the crystal ball materialized in Emma's hand and she smiled triumphantly. "Well done dear." Regina said, taking the ball and leaning forward to kiss the blonde briefly before turning and moving to sit the ball on the table.

"What do you need me to do?" Emma asked, both excited yet still terrified. Regina looked up at her, her expression mirroring the same array of emotions before she reached out and took Emma's hand, squeezing it lightly and tugging her wife to her side.

"Keep hold of my hand." She said softly and Emma nodded, keeping close to her as Regina slowly turned back to the crystal ball, lifting her free hand to hover over it. Taking a deep breath, the brunette focused all of her thoughts on her family before waving her hand over the ball and both of them watched and waited as smoke filled the inside of the crystal ball.

Both women held their breath, leaning against one another heavily as the smoke began to clear and two small, yet achingly familiar figures began to appear…

 **-0-**

 _ **Our world**_

" _Henwy….!"_

 _Henry Mills laughed as he chased after Charlotte, her blonde curls bouncing as she tried to outrun her big brother in the garden. As he closed in on her, the little girl squealed and ran around the slide, quickly ducking underneath it and running to the other side. "I'm gonna get you…" Henry teased, closing in on the little girl who giggled._

" _No, no, no, no, no…." she repeated, giggling and glancing over her shoulder. As she did this however she didn't see the stray toy on the ground and tripped over it, landing heavily on her hands and knees. Henry gasped sharply and dropped to his knees beside his baby sister._

" _Charley-bear are you okay?" he asked, picking her up and sitting her down on his lap. His eyes immediately went to her knees and her hands, searching for any sort of injury, when he saw nothing but mud however he finally allowed himself to relax._

" _I fell down." Charlotte said, sighing dramatically and holding up her hands to Henry as if to prove a point before rubbing them together to rid herself of the dirt. Henry chuckled and sat on the ground, readjusting Charlotte so he could wipe the mud from her knees._

" _You did. I think you did more damage to the ground…" he teased, and Charlotte laughed, scrunching her nose up as she looked down at the grass, then back up at the house. Her little face fell a little, her bottom lip jutting out and Henry frowned at the change in mood. Though it wasn't the first time it had happened, the last five weeks had been difficult on both of them._

 _After walking the road for three hours, they'd finally been picked up by a Police Deputy who then drove them to their station where they were then taken by social services. Henry had held tightly to Charlotte, refusing to let anyone close to her, determined for them not to be separated and so far, so good. Their social workers seemed to respect the need for the siblings to stay together and the foster home they were in now, wasn't too bad. Sure it was jam packed with other children and none of them were particularly friendly but Henry never allowed it to bother him. After all, it wasn't forever, any day now his Mom's would be back to get them and things would go back to normal._

" _What's up Charley-bear?" he asked, watching as the little girl looked up at him sadly, her fingers coming up to play with the pocket on his shirt._

" _When are Momma and Mommy going to take us home?" she asked and Henry sighed quietly, letting his little sister cuddle into his chest._

" _Soon baby girl, soon…Momma promised remember? We're not here forever, just a little bit…" he promised, giving her a comforting cuddle before smiling softly and pulling back to look down at her, "But you got me for now, that's okay right?" he asked, watching her tilt her head to the side as if debating her answer before a smile appeared on her face._

" _Yeah!" she said happily, jumping up out of his lap, "but you still can't catch me!" she declared, skipping away from Henry before she began running. For a moment Henry watched her, amazed at how quick she could jump back. Chuckling he pushed up quickly and began his pursuit of her again._

" _Oh I'm goin' to get you…!"_

 _ **-0-**_

"They're alright. They're together." Emma breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against Regina as she watched their children in the crystal ball. In five weeks they'd both changed so much though. Shaking her head she looked at Regina and beamed, though when she saw a frown appear on the brunette's face she felt all that tension come rushing back, "Regina what is it?" she asked looking back into the ball.

"Something…something's wrong." Regina declared, watching as the scene inside the ball shifted to something else...

 ** _-0-_**

" _Henry!"_

 _Henry shot up in his bed, startled awake by the screaming of his name. Immediately it registered inside his sleep laden mind that the scream was his sisters. Scrambling out of his bed he hurried to the door only to pause as the scene outside caught his attention. Eyes wide the young boy swung open his bedroom door and rushed out, "Charlie!" he screamed._

 _Crashing out of the front door he charged towards the car his little sister was now being placed into, her little body twisting frantically as she tried to get out of the social workers hold. Her face was drenched in tears, her eyes wide with fear as her arms reached out for her brother. "Henry,"_

" _Charlie…" Henry rushed forwards only to have two officers step in his way, restraining him from getting to his sister. Now the panic was setting in as he tried to push through them, their hold only tightened, holding him firmly in place. "Stop, where are you taking her?" he cried out._

" _There's a young couple in Seattle, they want to adopt her Henry I'm sorry they won't take the both of you," his social worker said, without much sympathy. Henry was now sixteen; there was no placing him in any kind of home but the one he was in._

" _No you promised…" he argued, violently trying to pull his arms from the restraints of the officers hold. Only two more years and he could legally become Charlotte's guardian, he wanted this, he was prepared and he'd been promised help in filing the necessary papers. Shaking his head he tried to move towards his screaming and frantic sister but again, he was held in place. "Please, you can't take her away from me, she's my sister!"_

" _Henry…" Charlotte tugged at the seat belt now holding her in her sear and banged her tiny fist on the car window. Henry could see from his vantage point she was already struggling to catch her breath and he frantically began to move. "Henry!"_

" _No…let me go…you promised please!" Henry was crying now as he tried to plead with his social worker, the woman though muttered an apology and climbed into the car with her co-worker. "No…stop, wait please, just…no!" Henry watched the car start, watched his little sister banging on the window as the vehicle began to move down the street. "No!" he screamed, pulling again and finally freeing himself from the grasp of the officers. Only by now it was too late and the young boy was left to watch in horror and despair as Charlotte, his baby sister, disappeared._

 _ **-0-**_

The desire to get home had become a desperate one. Everything now was moving so fast, any other problems were pushed aside as the two women and their family began the race. It wasn't just because the children had been separated by social services, torn away from each other in such a cruel way. No, the real issue now wasn't distance, it was time. Looking into the crystal ball hadn't only revealed the fate of the two children but also the horrifying discovery that time in the Enchanted Forest was moving at a much slower rate than time in the real world.

Emma hadn't realized, not until Regina had pointed it out. When they'd looked into the ball at their children, had looked exactly the same as when they'd left but the second time, when Charlotte had been taken away they were older by at least a year. In only a few weeks things had passed by much faster for Charlotte and Henry, they were officially growing up alone. The longer Emma and Regina were stuck here, the older their children were getting and that was by far the worst thing this curse had done.

The whole castle, the whole in fact had rallied together in the days that had followed the discovery. Everything and anything was being done to try and find some-way back home. Find some portal that would allow travel or some magic beans but so far they'd been coming empty. The only sure way to get back to the other world was by doing something the two women were declaring as a last resort. However as the days began to turn into weeks and then into months both Emma and Regina realized that they'd have to do the unthinkable. One of them was going to have to die in order to enact the curse, the dark curse.

Zelena was missing or at least in hiding and hadn't been seen in weeks. There'd been no taunts, no cruel laughter at the pain she was causing the two parents. Rumple was missing too, still bound to the redheaded witch thanks to his dagger. So with them both gone and nowhere to be found, at least for now they weren't being considered a priority by many, especially the Royals.

Both Snow and Charming had headed off to find the White Witch hoping that from the last time she'd know some-way for them to get home that didn't involve enacting the curse again. They knew only too well about the sacrifice that would need to be made and they didn't want their daughter to have to go through something like that. So they had taken it upon themselves to go on this quest, requesting that the dwarves take to the mines in the hopes they could acquire some magic dust…they needed everything they could get at the moment.

The crystal ball had been shattered after the discovery when the combined magic of both Emma and Regina had surged, destroying their entire room and in turn the entire floor of the castle. It had been a quick and easy fix of course but the damage had been significant and almost deadly to all those in the castle at that moment in time. So once more they were left with no way to see what was going on, yet in many ways that was a blessing for Regina. The more she saw the worse the anger inside became. She was barely holding it together under the knowledge Charlotte had been taken away from Henry but if she had to watch them growing up in god knows who's care she knew she would lose it completely.

As time continued to pass by though, the reality f their situation became harder and harder to ignore. Once upon a time the dark curse had been used for evil, out of pure revenge but now, now it was about to be used out of love. The whole concept terrified the two women, as much as they wanted their children back, they didn't want to lose each other. Yet at the same time they both knew it was the only option. Every other option or avenue had resulted in a dead end.

Months passed by and the situation reached its final dramatic climax. So with the support of the people of the Enchanted Forest, Emma and Regina enacted the curse, with Regina's blackened heart being used as the last and final ingredient.

 ** _-0-_**

 _ **I would really like to know what you guys think. So please if you're just a reader and you've never reviewed, send me a review and let me know your thoughts. I'm not above begging haha.**_

 _ **Thank you to both the guests that reviewed, would love to hear what you both think of this chapter as well.**_

 _Mouche93 – glad you are liking the story, truly hope you liked this chapter._

 _Tae200243 – Aw thank you. This made me smile, so happy to see you've fallen in love with this story, I'm the same, I'm enjoying see what I have planned out._


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